Hinge, in particular for connecting two flap portions of a folding flap

ABSTRACT

A hinge is provided for connecting two flap portions of a folding flap, and there is a gap between the flap portions. The hinge includes two hinge portions, each of which can be fixed to a flap portion. At least one of the hinge portions which is mounted displaceably with respect to a mounting plate is held in a first position by a force-exerting holding device and is movable into a second position after the force is overcome and the holding device is released or unlatched, with the gap between the flap portions being increased.

The invention relates to a hinge, in particular for connecting two flapportions of a folding flap, comprising two hinge portions, each of whichcan be fixed to a flap portion, wherein there is a gap between the flapportions.

The object of the invention is to improve such a hinge to the effectthat a finger is prevented from being jammed between the door portionswhen a folding flap is closed.

The object according to the invention is attained in that at least oneof the hinge portions which is mounted displaceably with respect to amounting plate is held in a first position by a force-exerting holdingdevice and is movable into a second position after the force isovercome, with the gap between the flap portions being increased.

Preferably there are three variants in terms of displaceability of thehinge portion. Thus on the one hand it can be provided that the mountingplate is adapted to connect the displaceably mounted hinge portion,referred to for brevity as the displaceable hinge portion, to one of theflap portions, in which case the displaceable hinge portion is mounteddisplaceably relative to that mounting plate. On the other hand it isalso possible for the displaceable hinge portion to be fixable to one ofthe flap portions, optionally by means of a mounting plate, and to bemounted displaceably relative to a mounting plate of the second hingeportion. The third variant which presents itself is for thefirst-mentioned possibilities to be combined together. Thelast-mentioned possibility can then be particularly desirably used whenthe gap between the flap portions is to be enlargeable by a particularlygreat amount.

All variants according to the invention have the advantage that the gapcan be embodied by means of one or more, preferably linear, displacementmovement or movements along one or more guide paths without the hingefor that purpose having to permit structurally complicated andexpensive, additional pivotal or folding movements.

It is advantageously provided that the displaceable hinge portion isacted upon by at least one spring.

A further embodiment of the invention provides that supported in thedisplaceable hinge portion is a spring-loaded latching projection whichlatches into a recess in the mounting plate.

A further embodiment provides that the holding device is formed by amagnet.

Various embodiments by way of example of the invention are describedhereinafter with reference to the Figures of the accompanying drawingsin which:

FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of an article of furniture with anopened folding flap,

FIG. 2 shows a perspective view of an article of furniture with a closedfolding flap,

FIG. 3 shows a side view of an article of furniture with an openedfolding flap,

FIGS. 4 a-4 c show side views of a first hinge according to theinvention and parts of the flap portions, wherein the flap portions areshown in a normal closing and opening process,

FIGS. 5 a-5 c show side views of the hinge and parts of the flapportions, illustrating the finger safeguard effect,

FIG. 6 shows a view in section through a hinge according to theinvention and regions of the flap portions, with the hinge being shownin the closed position,

FIG. 7 shows a view in section through a hinge and regions of the flapportions, with the hinge being shown in the position in which the fingersafeguard effect is operative,

FIG. 8 shows a view in section taken along line A-A in FIG. 7,

FIG. 9 shows a view in section through a further embodiment of a hingewhich is illustrated in the closed position,

FIG. 10 shows a view in section through a hinge of the embodiment ofFIG. 8, with the finger safeguard effect being operative,

FIG. 11 shows a view in section taken along line A-A in FIG. 9,

FIGS. 12 and 13 show sectional views of an embodiment by way of exampleof the invention, in which the hinge portions are mounted displaceablyrelative to each other,

FIG. 14 shows a perspective view of the second hinge portion, which isin the form of a hinge cup, of the embodiment of FIGS. 12 and 13, and

FIGS. 15-18 show a further embodiment according to the invention inwhich the displaceable hinge portion is mounted displaceably relative totwo mounting plates, as sectional views.

FIGS. 1 through 3 each show a cupboard comprising the body 1 of thearticle of furniture, which is covered by a folding flap 2. The foldingflap 2 comprises two flap portions 3, 4. The upper flap portion 3 isfixed to the upper end panel 5 of the body 1 of the article of furnitureby means of hinges while the lower flap portion 4 is fixed to the upperflap portion 3. Near its lower edge the lower flap portion 4 ispivotably connected to control arms 6 of furniture plates 7 which aremounted to the side walls 8 of the article of furniture. In theillustrated embodiment the flap portions 3, 4 are connected together bymeans of hinges 9.

In the illustrated variants the hinges 9 are in the form of single-axishinges and in conventional manner comprise a hinge portion 10 in theform of a hinge arm and a hinge portion 11 in the form of a hinge cup.In the illustrated embodiment the hinge cup-like hinge portion 11 isfitted into the flap portion 3 and the hinge arm-like hinge portion 10is mounted to the flap portion 4 by means of a mounting plate 12. Thereverse arrangement would be equally well possible.

The hinge portion 10 is mounted displaceably on the mounting plate 12,more specifically in perpendicular relationship to the hinge axis 13. Inthe embodiment shown in FIGS. 6 and 7 a spring 14 is mounted in thehinge portion 10 and forms the force-exerting holding device. The spring14 is supported against the mounting plate 12 and acts on the hingeportion 10 in such a way that the two flap portions 3, 4, when thefolding flap 2 is in a closed condition, assume their normal position,that is to say the gap 15 between the two flap portions 3, 4 isrelatively narrow.

If upon closure of the folding flap 2 anyone should put his finger intothe gap 15 between the two flap portions 3, 4, the spring 14 then yieldsand the flap portion 4 is pushed away from the flap portion 3, that isto say the gap 15 is increased in size and the finger is prevented frombeing painfully clamped. As soon as the gap 15 is cleared again, thespring 14 urges the hinge arm 10 rearwardly again and displaces the flapportion 4 with respect to the flap portion 3.

In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 9 and 10 the hinge arm-like hingeportion 10 is provided with a spring-loaded latching projection 16 whichin the normal position of the flap portions 3, 4 latches in a recess 17in the mounting plate 12. The latching projection 16 forms theforce-exerting holding device.

If a user of the cupboard should put one or more fingers in the gap 15when closing the folding flap 2 then the spring-loaded projection 16comes out of latching engagement with the recess 17 and the hingeportion 10 is displaceable on the mounting plate 12 so that the gap 15is sufficiently wide not to clamp the finger or fingers. The flapportion 4 with the mounting plate 12 then has to be pushed back into theposition shown in FIG. 8 again, whereupon the spring-loaded projection16 comes into latching engagement again.

Instead of the spring-loaded projection 16 the force-exerting holdingdevice can also be in the form of a magnet if the mounting plate 12and/or the hinge portion 10 are made from magnetisable material.

In the embodiments shown in FIGS. 1 through 11 the displaceable hingeportion 10 is always mounted displaceably relative to a mounting plate12 with which on the other hand however it can also be fixed to the flapportion 4. A possible alternative thereto will be described by means ofthe embodiment with reference to FIGS. 12 through 14. Here thedisplaceable hinge portion 10 is fixed on the flap portion 4 by way of amounting plate 12. It is mounted displaceably with respect to a mountingplate 12′ of the second hinge portion 11. In the illustrated embodimentit is in the form of a hinge cup while the displaceable hinge portion 10is in the form of a hinge arm. FIG. 12 shows the normal position inwhich the hinge arm 10 is held with the hinge axis 13 by the latchingspring 18 or is latched thereinto. In that case the latching spring 18forms the force-exerting holding device which is here arranged in thesecond hinge portion 11. FIG. 13 shows the position in which the gap 15is enlarged to its maximum extent. That position is reached when anobject such as for example a finger passes into the gap 15 when closingthe flap portions 3 and 4 and the holding force of the latching spring18 is overcome thereby. After the force is overcome the pivot axis 13,by means of which the two hinge portions 10 and 11 are pivotablyconnected together, can be moved into the second position shown in FIG.13. The movement takes place along a guide path 19 which is arranged inthe second hinge portion 11 and which can preferably be in the form of aguide groove. The guide path 19 which in particular is substantiallystraight extends inclinedly relative to the mounting plate 12′ of thesecond hinge portion 11 in the illustrated embodiment. In theillustrated embodiment the hinge axis 13 is rigidly arranged on orconnected to the displaceable hinge portion 10.

Once the finger safeguard embodied in that way has been triggered andwhen the hinge is in the position shown in FIG. 13 it is then sufficientfor the two flap portions 3 and 4 to be pushed together so that the axis3 slides along the guide path 19 in the direction of the latching spring18 and latches thereinto once again, thereby re-establishing thestarting condition shown in FIG. 12. The pivotal movements of the flapportions 3 and 4 about the hinge axis 13, which are to be implemented innormal operation when opening and closing the flap portion, areindicated by a double-headed arrow 25 in FIG. 12.

In addition, for the purposes of adjusting the two flap portions 3 and 4in the closed condition of the folding flap as shown in FIG. 12, therecan also be adjusting devices 23 and 24. Thus the device 23 can be of aconfiguration like a depth adjusting device which is known from otherhinges and can be used for setting the width of opening of the gap 15 inthe position shown in FIG. 12. The device 24 can be of a configurationsimilar to gap adjusting screws which are known per se in relation tohinges, and can serve to align the fronts 3′ and 4′ of the flap portions3 and 4 in such a way that, in the closed position shown in FIG. 12,they are arranged in a common plane.

FIG. 14 shows a perspective view of the second hinge portion 11 which isin the form of a hinge cup and the latching spring 18 which is arrangedon the mounting plate 12′ of the second hinge portion 11.

The embodiment of FIGS. 15 through 18 shows a variant in which thedisplaceable hinge portion 10 is mounted displaceably both relative to amounting plate 12 with which it can be fixed to the one flap portion 4and also relative to the second hinge portion 11 which is fixed to theother flap portion 3, or the mounting plate 12′ thereof. Thedisplaceable mounting of the hinge portion 10 which is in the form hereof a hinge arm, on the mounting plate 12, can basically be of variousdifferent configurations. Thus inter alia all the variants shown inFIGS. 6 through 11 are possible. FIGS. 15 through 18 show a variant inwhich a spring 14 is arranged between the displaceably mounted hingeportion 10 and an intermediate portion 20 which can be clipped on to themounting plate 12. In this case the spring 14 is supported against aholding projection 21 of the intermediate portion 20 and a holdingprojection 22 of the hinge portion 10. FIG. 16 shows a position in whichthe gap is increased by displacement of the hinge portion 10 relative tothe mounting plate 12 or the intermediate portion 20 arranged thereon,with simultaneous compression of the spring 14. In order to be able tostill further increase the size of the gap 15 the displaceable hingeportion 10 is also additionally mounted displaceably relative to thesecond hinge portion 11 or the mounting plate 12′ thereof. Thatadditional displaceability is implemented as in the embodiment shown inFIGS. 12 through 14. FIG. 17 shows an intermediate position in which thegap 15 has been enlarged solely by displacement of the hinge axis 13along the guide path 19. FIG. 18 shows the position with maximumenlargement of the gap. That results from a combination of theintermediate positions shown in FIGS. 16 and 17. The width of opening ofthe gap 15 corresponds in FIG. 18 to the total of the widths of openingin FIGS. 16 and 17.

It will be clear to the man skilled in the art from the large number ofvarious explicitly described alternative configurations that theinvention is not restricted thereto. The various features of thealternative configurations can be combined together as desired, which ineach case leads to new configurations. Thus it is in particular possiblefor the latching spring 18 of the second hinge portion 11 to be replacedby a spring which acts over the entire adjustment travel, similarly tothe spring 14. In addition it is also possible for example for two hingearms or hinge cups which are designed in accordance with the respectivespecific embodiments to be connected together by way of a hinge axis.That would then result in hinges of a symmetrical configuration. Inparticular above all the notion of a mounting plate is to be interpretedbroadly as the illustrated specific embodiments clearly show.

1. A hinge for connecting two flap portions of a folding flap, whereinthere is a gap between the flap portions, comprising two hinge portions,each of which can be fixed to a flap portion, characterised in that atleast one of the hinge portions which is mounted displaceably withrespect to a mounting plate is held in a first position by aforce-exerting holding device and is movable into a second positionafter the force is overcome and the holding device is released orunlatched, with the gap between the flap portions being increased.
 2. Ahinge as set forth in claim 1 characterised in that the force-exertingholding device is formed by at least one spring.
 3. A hinge as set forthin claim 2 characterised in that the at least one spring is in the formof a coil spring and is oriented perpendicularly to the gap between theflap portions.
 4. A hinge as set forth in claim 1 characterised in thatthe displaceable hinge portion is held behind projections of themounting plate.
 5. A hinge as set forth in claim 1 characterised in thatsupported in the displaceable hinge portion is a spring-loaded latchingprojection which latches into a recess in the mounting plate and formsthe holding device.
 6. A hinge as set forth in claim 1 characterised inthat the holding device is formed by a magnet.
 7. A hinge as set forthin claim 1 characterised in that the displaceable hinge portion is inthe form of an elongate arm.
 8. A hinge as set forth in claim 7characterised in that the second hinge portion is of a cup-shapedconfiguration and has an axis on which the hinge portion in the form ofthe elongate arm is pivotably mounted.
 9. A hinge as set forth in claim1 characterised in that the mounting plate is adapted to connect thedisplaceable hinge portion to one of the flap portions, wherein thedisplaceable hinge portion is mounted displaceably relative to themounting plate.
 10. A hinge as set forth in claim 9 characterised inthat the displaceable hinge portion is in the form of a hinge arm.
 11. Ahinge as set forth in claim 1 characterised in that the displaceablehinge portion can be fixed, directly or by means of a mounting plate, toone of the flap portions, and is mounted displaceably relative to amounting plate of the second hinge portion.
 12. A hinge as set forth inclaim 11 characterised in that the displaceable hinge portion can befixed rigidly to a flap portion.
 13. A hinge as set forth in claim 10characterised in that the second hinge portion or the mounting platethereof can be fixed to the other of the flap portions.
 14. A hinge asset forth in claim 11 characterised in that the displaceable hingeportion is a hinge arm.
 15. A hinge as set forth in claim 11characterised in that the second hinge portion is a hinge cup.
 16. Ahinge as set forth in claim 11 characterised in that the displaceablehinge portion and the second hinge portion are connected togetherpivotably by way of a hinge axis.
 17. A hinge as set forth in claim 16characterised in that the hinge axis is mounted displaceably along aguide path or a guide groove arranged in the second hinge portionrelative to the second hinge portion.
 18. A hinge as set forth in claim17 characterised in that the guide path or the guide groove is adaptedto extend inclinedly relative to the mounting plate of the second hingeportion.
 19. A hinge as set forth in claim 17 characterised in that theguide path or the guide groove is substantially straight.
 20. A hinge asset forth in claim 16 characterised in that the hinge axis is rigidlyarranged on or connected to the displaceable hinge portion.
 21. A hingeas set forth in claim 16 characterised in that a latching spring isprovided as the force-exerted holding device in the second hingeportion, into which spring the hinge axis can be latched and unlatched.22. A hinge as set forth in claim 21 characterised in that the latchingspring is arranged at the mounting plate of the second hinge portion.23. A hinge as set forth in claim 1 characterised in that thedisplaceable hinge portion is mounted displaceably relative to a firstmounting plate, wherein the first mounting plate is adapted to connectthe displaceable hinge portion to one of the flap portions and inaddition the displaceable hinge portion is mounted displaceably relativeto a second mounting plate of the second hinge portion, wherein thesecond hinge portion can be fixed to the other flap portion.
 24. A hingeas set forth in claim 21 characterised in that the displaceable hingeportion is a hinge arm.
 25. A hinge as set forth in claim 23characterised in that the second hinge portion is a hinge cup.
 26. Ahinge as set forth in claim 23 characterised in that the displaceablehinge portion is mounted displaceably relative to the first mountingplate.
 27. A hinge as set forth in claim 23 characterised in that thedisplaceable hinge portion is mounted displaceably relative to a secondmounting plate.